Posted on 11/04/2009
Don’t let the name fool you – Mike Baker does not make bikes. But he does handle bars. The Alameda, CA native and Honor Roll rapper released this super deluxe edition of his sophomore Now Or Never EP in preparation for this winter’s CMJ conference, and the tasty nine-track disc does not disappoint. What’s more important, however, is what Now Or Never does – not what it doesn’t do. It defines Mike’s ability to establish himself as an artist in his own right.

With the help of Honor Roll producers Trackademicks and 1 O.A.K., Baker has flawlessly executed his artistic personality on Now Or Never. From start to finish, Baker is the lead character in Now Or Never’s exotic, sonic spy tale. It’s not that the subject matter is on the Sneakers tip, but the vibe, from the point that you press ‘play’ to the time that you hit ‘repeat,’ is equal parts Dr. No and Dr. Evil. Baker’s songs are the soundtrack as he pilots a roofless something along a beachfront somewhere with a long-legged someone in the passenger seat. All over the place and unfocused, this EP is not.

The production, of course plays a big part in painting the picture that is Now Or Never. Serving as the EP’s theme song, “The Chase” is by far the disc’s crowning achievement. Baker’s ode to the infinite pursuit of his propers (related to both dough and damsels) is set off by deftly orchestrated horn and string sections courtesy of 1 O.A.K. The young producer also lends his drum pad expertise to “Espionage,” a hard-hitting head nodder with a big-band intro that breaks down into a basic, funky drum beat backed by a smooth guitar.

It’s hard to go wrong with beats this beautiful, but the most important aspect of Now Or Never is Mike’s revamped verbiage. Whether pedaling punch-lines at speeds of 120 bpm and above, or zigzagging through a slow motion cut, he’s confident and knows exactly where he’s going and how he’s getting there. With Baker’s solo LP and an Honor Roll album on the horizon, it’s looking like now is the time.

- Mike Gadd